Fiber-cleaning device.



M. G. McLANE.

FIBER CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION'PILED snr'ma, 190a.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL G. McLANE, .OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FIBER-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification otLetters Patent. i

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

' Original application filed April 21,4909, Serial No. 491,334. Divided and this application filed Septhmber' 23,1909. Serial No. 519,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in F iber-Cleanin Devices,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fiber-cleaning machines, and especially pertains to a mechanism for efiectlng the preliminary scutching of the stalks of hemp, ramie, and other fibrous plants.

v /The )resent ap lication is a division of my app ication, fi er-cleaning machine, Serial l\o. 491,334.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan of the device. Fig. 2 1s a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a section on line X-X, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of the clutch.

8 and 9 represent a pair of scrapers suitablyjmounted upon a table 10. The lower frame 10 and has an adjustable clamp 15' scraper 8" is stationary, while the upper scraper 9 is pivoted at 11 and is operated by a handle 12 to open it away from the scraper 8 against the tension of a spring 13, when 1t is desired to insert the end of a stalk or a bunch of stalks in between the scrapers.

Acarrier 14 slides in suitable guides on operated by a rack and pinion 16, so that the clam 15 may be pressed down on the bed of t e carrier 14 to rip the stalk or bunch of stalks and pull t e ends from out between the scrapers 8-9 when the carrier 14 ismoved away from the scrapers. This movement of the fibrous stalks, represented at 17, past the closed scra' ers 8-9 acts to strip off the wood and pup and leave "the fibrous cleaned ends of the stalks. A single movemerit of the carrier 14 and clamp bar 15 backward from the scrapers 8-9 is sufficient to clean. the ends-0f the stalks.

Any appropriate means may be employed to give the carrier 14 one complete movement backward, and then forward into position ready for the next bunch of stufi. As here shown, the driving-shaft-18 of the machine has fixed to it a clutch collar 19, Figs. 1 and 4, and on this shaft is a loose disk 20 having a clutch collar 21 engageable and disengage- YMCLANE,"

able with the constantly. rotating clutch collar 19. A spring 22 acts to press the clutch collars always toward each other. The disk the carrier 14. The inside of the disk has a cam face 25 engageable with a fixed member a 26; these surfaces coacting in the revolution of the disk to disengage the clutch collars 21-19. These clutch collars will be disengaged when the widest part of the circular cam 25 is resting against the fixed abutment 26, and the shaft 1.8 and clutch collar 19 will be free to revolve, while the disk and carrier 14 stand still. At this moment the carrier 14 is at its point of most forward position. When it is desired to start the carrier, the operator, by a pull on the handle 27, turns tie disk so as to cause the wide part of the cam 25 to ride beyond the projection 26, whereupon the spring 22 operates to throw the clutches 21-19 into engagement, and the disk makes nearly one complete revolution, and the carrier 14 makes one complete reciprocation; whereupon the disk and carrier again stop.

Secured to and projecting forwardly from Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat? ent is- 1. In a,,fiber-clem1sing device, a pair of coacting scrapers, .aconstantly-operating driver, a reciprocating clamp paovable by said driver toward and from said scra ers, and means for disconnecting the clam rom the constantly-operating driver at t e end of a single reciprocation of the clamp.

2. In a fiber-cleaning machine, a pair of scra ers, a reciprocating clamp, a constantly revo ving shaft, and automatically operated clutch mechanism on the shaft, and means between the shaft and clamp forgiving the clamp one complete reciprocation and then disconnectin it-from said shaft during the revolution 0 the sl ft.

3. In a fiber-clean ng machine,the combination with scraping devices, of a clamp member movable toward and from said devices, a rotary shaft, a driving clutch mem ber fixed on the shaft, aloose driven clutch -member"normally in engagement with the first-named clutch member, said loose clutch member connected with the clamp to reciprcate-the latter, and means including a cam member on said loose clutch member for dis engaging the clutch members at the end of each revolution.

- toward and from said devices, a rotary shaft,

' 4. In a fiber-cleaning machine, the combination of scraping devices, a clamp movable a clutch member fixed on the shaft, a loose clutch .member thereon, said last-named member secured to a'disk, said d1sk having a Wrist-pin, a pitman connectingsaid wrlstpin and said clamp, a spring for pressing the clutches together, and a cam face on said disk for automaticalhy' disengaging'said clutches at the end of-each revolution.

5. In a fiber-cleaning machine, the comhi nation of scraping devices, a clamp movable,

"toward and from said devices, a rotary shaft, f

a clutch member fixed on the shaft,"a loose clutch member thereon, said last-named member secured to a disk, said disk having a wrist-pin, a pitman connecting said wristevaeee pin and said clamp, a spring for-pressin the clutches together, a cam face on sai disk for automatically disengaging said;

clutches at the end of eachrevolutlon, and a handle on the disk for turning the latter independent of the rotation of the shaft.

6. In a fiber-cleaning machine, the combi- I scraper to open it relatively to the companion scraper and to thereby release the stalk or bunch of stalks at each forward stroke of the clamp. I

n-testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the pfiesence of two subscribing witnessesl MICHAEL G. McLANE.

Witnesses CHARLES A. PENFmLD, CHARLES EDELMAN. 

